From car and phone to tractor owners, a populist wave is rising to end the 'captive' repair economy
A growing populist movement is pushing for right-to-repair legislation across various industries, including agriculture and automotive. Deere has faced legal challenges over its repair practices, leading to a significant settlement with farmers. Bipartisan efforts in Congress are underway to introduce the REPAIR Act, which aims to provide consumers with better access to vehicle repair data.
- ▪Deere settled a class-action lawsuit with farmers for $99 million regarding right-to-repair issues.
- ▪The REPAIR Act, sponsored by Senators Luján and Hawley, seeks to ensure vehicle owners have access to repair data.
- ▪Opposition to the REPAIR Act comes from the National Automobile Dealers Association, which argues that existing agreements already provide sufficient access.
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Tech corporations remain split on their lobbying. Apple initially opposed right-to-repair legislation but it has softened its stance in recent years, while Samsung continues to garner criticism for difficult repair options.For its part, Deere says that it isn't anti right-to-repair. "We want farmers to be able to fix their equipment. In fact, our industry depends on it," said Denver Caldwell, vice president, aftermarket & customer support. Farmers already have access to repair tools, information, and diagnostics through national agreements with the American Farm Bureau Federation, Caldwell said, "without creating a patchwork of state‑by‑state mandates." Deere also says that the existing frameworks agreed to before the 2022 New York law include a process for updates in repair capabilities…
Excerpt limited to ~120 words for fair-use compliance. The full article is at CNBC.
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